Former Chicago Bears' third-round pick at risk of being cut ahead of 2025 season
Expectations that come along with being selected in the early rounds of the NFL Draft are always high. It extends beyond just first-rounders, too. Players who hear their names called on Day 2 (rounds two and three) are expected to compete for starting jobs, if not valuable backup roles.
Unfortunately for the Chicago Bears, they haven't received that level of play from defensive lineman Zacch Pickens, who was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Pickens has appeared in 26 games over the last two seasons and was limited to nine games in 2024 as he battled a multi-week groin injury.
But even when Pickens has been on the field, he's been pretty forgettable. He's totaled just 39 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his career and ended 2024 with the fourth-lowest Pro Football Focus grade on the Bears' defense.
The 2025 NFL offseason hasn't been kind to Pickens' future, either. The Chicago Bears signed veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to a lucrative contract and selected Texas A&M's Shemar Turner in the second round. They represent two significant investments at Pickens' position, which suggests his outlook is bleak.
In fact, Zacch Pickens' future is so unsettled that he didn't make the cut on The Athletic's latest Bears' 53-man roster prediction.
Chicago Bears' depth along defensive line will leave someone out of 53-man roster
"The interior defensive line looks a lot deeper than the edge, especially if someone like Billings might be the No. 4," Bears reporter Kevin Fishbain wrote. "But that disparity won’t matter if a few things go the Bears’ way. Can Sweat get back to the form we saw when the team first acquired him in 2023? Can Odeyingbo live up to his contract and turn his pressures into sacks? Can Booker and Robinson use their athletic traits and thrive in a new system?"
Here's who Fishbain and Adam Jahns have making the defensive line cut: Montez Sweat, Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter, Dayo Odeyingbo, Shemar Turner, Andrew Billings, Austin Booker, Chris Williams, and Dominque Robinson.
It's a logical group. Perhaps Robinson is a product of offseason praise by head coach Ben Johnson, but the Bears' lack of depth at pass rusher hurts his cause much like the team's depth at defensive tackle hurts Pickens'.
Life comes at you fast in the NFL. For Pickens, the euphoria of being selected early in the NFL Draft has quickly turned into panic about his future.
Related articles
5 Canucks whose trade protection changes as of July 1, 2025
Ryan Poles' most successful Bears free agent properly rewarded
Tom Schwartz Shares Why He Didn’t Want to Join Pump Rules as Ex Katie Reveals What She’d Change About Herself on Show & What Their Marriage Taught Her
Eagles Predicted To Strike Gold With Young StarThe Latest
Former Chicago Bears' third-round pick at risk of being cut ahead of 2025 season
Expectations that come along with being selected in the early rounds of the NFL Draft are always high. It extends beyond just first-rounders, too. Players who hear their names called on Day 2 (rounds two and three) are expected to ...
Seahawks emphasizing on-field teaching under Mike Macdonald
For Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, 2024 was a season of learning how to be a head coach. In his second season leading an NFL franchise, the coaching staff and team appear to have a clear direction toward perfection. The Seahawks concluded ...
-1750233496-q80.webp "Falcons cut Alabama star to make room for UFL's leading rusher")
Falcons cut Alabama star to make room for UFL's leading rusher
The Atlanta Falcons are mixing it up in their running back room with an intriguing addition. On Tuesday, the Falcons announced the signing of Jashaun Corbin, who just led the UFL in rushing. Wolfe: Kirk Cousins' presence at Falcons minicamp solidifies Michael ...
Broncos WR Devaughn Vele Dealing With an Injury: What We Know
Devaughn Vele was one of the hot topics of the Denver Broncos' offseason training program. The second-year receiver showcased that he'd worked hard during the offseason, on his own, and when the voluntary minicamps rolled around, it was clear that ...
-1750233353-q80.webp "Doc Rivers says New York Knicks star is the NBA player who has surprised him the most, ‘way better than I thought’")
Doc Rivers says New York Knicks star is the NBA player who has surprised him the most, ‘way better than I thought’
The New York Knicks have been on the rise in recent seasons, most recently making the Eastern Conference Finals. The changing trajectory of the New York Knicks was recently highlighted by reports the franchise is ready to turn down Kevin Durant. Recently fired head coach Tom ...
